Apple TV+ Announces Initial Slate of “Friday Night Baseball” Games, Cubs Show Up Twice

Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball is back this year, and they just announced their schedule through June. *UNLIKE LAST YEAR* you actually have to have an Apple TV+ subscription to watch these games, which are exclusive to Apple. It’s part of the money Apple paid to MLB on a new national rights deal, and I expect that some fans are going to be perturbed to learn that the paywall kicks in this year (as it did last year with the Sunday games on Peacock).

The Cubs have two games on the schedule, starting with the very first Apple game of the year: Friday, April 7 against the Rangers, and Friday, May 12 against the Twins.

I know what you’re thinking on that first one: isn’t that a day game? Yup, Cubs-Rangers is a classic 1:20pm CT Friday start, but it’s the first “Friday Night Baseball” game of the year. Go figure.

You can sign up for AppleTV+ right here. They even have a 7-day free trial.